Ghana Coach Otto Addo excludes Thomas Partey from AFCON qualifiers squad for Angola and Niger

Black Stars coach Otto Addo has addressed the decision to leave Thomas Partey out of Ghana’s 25-man squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Angola and Niger, citing private discussions aimed at "protecting" the player. 

Although Partey, the Arsenal midfielder and Black Stars captain, is fit, Addo disclosed that the exclusion was a mutual decision following a confidential conversation between the two.

“I had a confidential talk with Thomas. I am the coach who always wants to protect the players,” Addo told reporters.

He added, “I am not going to tell you the internal issues, but I made it quite clear to him; he wanted to come, but I made it quite clear why he's not coming.” His comments suggest the decision was not based on Partey’s fitness, but rather on a shared understanding to preserve the player’s best interests.

Addo further explained that the details of their discussion would remain private, noting, “It’s difficult for me to mention all the things, so maybe we have to move on.” 

Partey’s absence from these crucial qualifiers has led to a reshuffle in the Black Stars’ leadership, with Jordan Ayew assuming the captaincy.

Initially, Addo had intended to appoint Partey as the captain for these matches to guide the team. “The initiative was to make Thomas the captain of the team and for him to guide the team, to lead the team,” he revealed. With Partey absent, Addo has looked to younger players like Mohammed Kudus to take on larger leadership roles, though he emphasised Kudus would need time to grow into the responsibility.

The 25-man squad for the qualifiers, announced on Thursday, includes several players from Europe’s top leagues, with standout names like Premier League stars Kudus, Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, and Fatawu Issahaku, who are all expected to play pivotal roles. Defender Alexander Djiku and Kudus will support Ayew in the leadership group.

Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu will miss the qualifiers due to a hamstring injury sustained in the 2-0 loss to Sudan last month. However, Lorient’s Nathaniel Adjei returns to the squad, having recovered from an earlier injury that kept him out of previous matches. Ibrahim Osman and Joseph Paintsil also make their return after both missed the Sudan double-header in October due to injuries.

The squad sees representation from the Ghana Premier League as well, with Nations FC's Razak Simpson, Samartex defender Isaac Afful, and Asante Kotoko’s Emmanuel Antwi earning call-ups. 

Ghana faces a high-stakes situation in these final AFCON qualifiers, first against Angola on November 15, 2024, away in Luanda before ending their campaign at home against Niger on November 18, 2024, at the Accra Stadium.

The team must win both fixtures and hope for Sudan to falter in order to secure a spot in the tournament in Morocco. With Partey and Salisu out, these matches will be a test of depth and resilience for Addo’s side as they fight to keep their AFCON hopes alive.